02 April 2009

Letts is not all that kind in his estimation of Obama's performance, but he isn't overly critical either:

Allegedly the most charismatic politician in the world, Mr Obama was a disappointment. It sounded as though he had a blocked nose and so his lack of energy may have been a symptom of a cold. Jet lag, too. He probably wished he could have stayed in bed...He spoke slowly, in a meandering manner. Some might say that he was thoughtful and professorial. Others might call his manner circuitous, even yarny.

Am I saying that he was a bore? Oh dear. I find that I possibly am.But in a good way, arguably. He came across as a president who would consult and think thrice before bombing the smithereens out of a foreign capital.This, comrades, can be counted progress.

I imagine Letts really feels this way, but I am flummoxed by this man's insistence at looking at everything Obama did so positively, and especially by the conclusion that he draws to Obama's potentially superior decision-making process. We've seen little to justify that optimism here.